54 
SOIL SURVEY OF OUTAGAMIE COUNTY. 
PEAT, SHALLOW PHASE. % 
Peat, shallow phase, is differentiated from the typical peat, 
solely on the basis of the thickness of the peaty deposit, the 
maximum in the phase being eighteen inches. The underlying 
material is very variable, and usually corresponds quite closely 
to the surrounding uplands. In regions where the surrounding 
soils are heavy, the subsoil is usually a silt loam or clay loam, 
often mottled in color. Where the uplands are sandy, the ma¬ 
terial composing the subsoil is usually light, consisting of tine 
sandy loam to very fine sand. The depth of the peaty material 
is also variable, and ranges from six to eighteen inches. 
In places small islands of muck, sand, or other soils have been 
included with the peat. These areas were too small and unim¬ 
portant to be mapped separately. 
The shallow phase of Peat is not very extensive and occurs 
only in small areas scattered throughout the county. 
The timber growth of this phase is practically the same as 
for the typical Peat, with the exception of tamarack. This tree 
is found only in a few places on shallow Peat. 
The production of marsh hay is about the only use made of 
this soil at present. It is used to a small extent for grazing. 
In its present condition it. has a low agricultural value. When 
drained it will be adapted to the same crops and types of farm¬ 
ing as the typical Peat. 
In most cases it is easier to improve the shallow phase as it 
will be more easily drained, and will require less compacting to 
make a good seed bed. 
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND FERTILITY OF PEAT SOILS. 
In the improvement of the peat lands of Outagamie County, 
the first step is drainage. With the exception of some of the 
marsh land immediately adjoining some of the larger streams, 
it is thought that most of the marshes could be readily drained 
and successfully cultivated. Along some of the larger streams, 
the surface of the Peat is so low that much of it would require 
diking, or the lowering of the bed of the stream, which would 
be very expensive and hardly justifyable under present con¬ 
ditions. 
The crops adapted to this land depend to a considerable ex¬ 
tent on the degree of drainage secured, and on the thorough- 
